A14 no real problems PU especially motorcycle, unless you happen to travel the Huntingdon to Cambridge section between 7.30 and 9am. There will be the statutory accident at Fenstanton at 8.15am, guaranteed.
Most camera's on this section are easily spotted (they are truvelo's now anyway) and the aforementioned Hun to Cam section is average speed camera, and half way between the two, just past Fenstanton accident, you will find a transit burger van on the left, weekdays, he does a mean diet sausage sandwich ( i remember you know routes by your tum)
I'd avoid the M1 like the plague whilst these interminable roadworks are on, virtually every day some clowns will have a prang down there, despite all going in the same direction at 40 or 50mph, beggars belief.
Took black cabs down to old smokie Friday used the A1 instead of M1, absolute doddle.
Just out of interest, talking of cafes, a possible meeting point with your mate....A1 southbound, that section just past the A14 south split at alconbury, you will find a very large (old road) lay by with large portacabin cafe in, if you met there, travel half a mile down after brekky, and you are at the 'Brampton Hut' junction where A14 crosses A1.
(so in other words, cafe is on southbound side of A1 half mile north of Brampton interchange)
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Thanks all, I'll e-mail the replies to him - we hadn't thought of a RV, I was too busy dissing his choice of route. Humble pie now with a brew.
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No choice in the matter at all. Unless it's after 10pm or before 8am on a Sunday A14/M11 is the route I use into Town. Even before they started widening the M1...
I don't know where you think the North beings... but your pal should also consider the A50 rather than the latter part of the M6.
As somebody said, the Huntingdon to Cambridge bit is a complete so and so during the morning rush hours. Not so bad in reverse in the evenings, Camb to Huntingdon awful on Saturday mornings.
NB as it's 2 lanes all the way to Stansted a prang will cause a bad blockage.
Don't expect to do warp speeds... but it's a relaxing route. It is a few miles further, but you also miss out the worst bit of the M25.
Also... save £1 at Dartford and avoid the rest of the M25 if it's bad and carry on down the M11/A12 and go through Blackwall and out on the A2.
Edited by Mapmaker on 18/05/2008 at 21:33
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The last few times I've been to France (and I'm near Harrogate) I've gone down past Oxford and got the Portsmouth ferry. I know it depends where you want to end up, and its a longer ferry trip, but it is sooooo much easier a drive.
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We are going to Belgium, crossing on the train. Thanks again
Edited by Pugugly on 18/05/2008 at 21:55
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There is no need to divert to the Blackwall to avoid the Dartford toll - there isn't a toll for bikes on the Dartford - it has been removed
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Well, as is my wont, I will go against the general trend! I live in East Mids, daughter lives in N London (v close to end of M11/A406 N Circular !!) and I use M1, M10, M25, and so does she! - reason? I hate that A14, M11 route - never been on it without severe holdups. No decent services for a coffee, 2 lane for most of the way so even when traffic light there are loads of HGVs overtaking each other with a 1 mph speed differential. Stretch between Huntingdon and Cambridge is appallingly congested at all times of the day, and the area round Stansted is always congested. And even in the roadworks on M1 we have usually kept going at the limit of 50 mph
Using M10 -Colney - M 25 avoids worst congestion at M1/M25 junction area and also allows a stop at at Colney shops where there is Starbucks, Sainsburys, M&S for decently priced refreshments.
Now it might be very different on a bike.........
And, of course, I might be completely wrong, but off to N France for a few days next week, picking up daughter in N London on the way and we will use M1, M10, M 25, end of M11 into N London.
Which ever route you use - enjoy your trip (and that Belgian beer!!) - oh and by the way - agree that from N Wales (?) use A50 from Stoke to M1 rather than M6
Cheers
Phil
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If you did go that way it's quite easy to miss out the M25 altogether (apart from the bit at the river crossing) by hanging a left at Stansted, using the A120, A131, A130, A12, A130 again and A13 coming out at the last M25 junction before the bridge. All of that is dual carriageway except for a short section round Chelmsford.
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And, as recommended by my daughter, to give the Huntingdon/Cambridge section a miss, turn right towards Papworth just after Huntingdon (A14), nice new by-pass round Papworth, then left at big roundabout (with a big Chinese Restaurant on it) onto A428 and onto M11 at J13
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Sounds good - summarising the replies now in a giant e-mail !
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Papworth Everard...
Indeed it does appear to have a bypass. If you look on google maps images, the A1198 goes through plough. And it's *particularly* sticky plough in that part of the world.
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My wife was returning from Birmingham to our Essex home a few weeks ago, I noticed that the A14 was suffering from one of its frequent accidents so I directed her through Papworth (surely it was only a matter of time before the site of one of Britain's leading heart hospitals got a bypass!) to avoid it. However, she managed to get back onto the gridlocked A14 going east from the A428 rather than the southbound M11!
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